Question

The mother of a cancer patient comes to the nurse concerned with her daughter's safety. She states that her daughter's morphine dose that she needs to control her pain is getting higher and higher. As a result, the mother is afraid that her daughter will overdose. The nurse educates the mother about what aspect of her pain management?

a) The dose range is higher with cancer patients, and the medical team will be very careful to prevent addiction.
b) Frequently, female patients and younger patients need higher doses of opioids to be comfortable.
c) The increased risk of overdose is an inevitable risk of maintaining adequate pain control during cancer treatment.
d) There is no absolute maximum opioid dose, and her daughter is becoming more tolerant to the drug.

Answer 1

The nurse would explain that a cancer patient's need for higher doses of opioids, like morphine, is due to the development of tolerance over time, not necessarily indicative of addiction or a high risk of overdose.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse would educate the mother about the concept of tolerance to opioids. As a cancer patient's body becomes more tolerant to the effects of opioids like morphine, higher doses may be required to control pain effectively. This is a common situation in cancer pain management and does not necessarily equate to addiction or carry a direct risk of overdose when managed carefully by a medical professional. It's essential to understand that there is no absolute maximum opioid dose because each patient's pain management needs and tolerance levels are unique. The medical team will continually assess the patient's response to the drug and the pain levels to adjust the dosage as needed, always considering the patient's safety.